Barrel lifters



1970 a. v. STINCHFIELD ,488,

BARREL LII IBRS Filed Sept. 6, 1967 GEORGE V. STINCHFIELD INVENTO/F BUCK/105W, BLORE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent Int. Cl. B66c l/34 US. Cl. 294-78 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A barrel lifter (FIGS. 1 and 2) has three integral hooks 12 adapted to stay on a barrel 18 in positions in which, when chains 14 are tensioned, shoes 20 hook under rim 22 of the barrel. When the chains are lowered onto the top of the barrel, the hooks hook over the rim and remain in positions adapted to re-engage the barrel for lifting when the chains are again lifted. Barrel lifter 40 (FIGS. 3 and 4) has two hooks 42 fabricated from pairs of sheet metal, C-shaped plates 58 and arcuate bar-like shoes 50. Bolts 54 secure chains 44 to the upper ends of the plates 58.

Description This invention relates to barrel litters, and more particularly to hook-type barrel lifters.

Prior to this invention, there has been no barrel lifter which can be quickly and easily brought into secure gripping engagement with the barrel, which holds the barrel against release except by deliberate action, even when the barrel is swung from side to side, which moves the barrel straight up and down when desired, and which permits the barrel to be set down and again relifted with no reattachment of the lifter to the barrel while permitting deliberate disengagement of the barrel by a crane operator merely by manipulation of the crane.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved barrel lifters.

Another object of the invention is to provide hook typo barrel lifters.

A further object of the invention is to provide barrel lifters which can be quickly and easily brought into secure gripping engagement with barrels.

Another object of the invention is to provide barrel lifters which hold barrels against release except by deliberate action even when the barrels are swung from side to side.

Another object of the invention is to provide barrel lifters which can move barrels straight up and down to avoid tipping.

A further object of the invention is to provide barrel lifters which permit barrels to be set down by cranes and released or relifted merely by manipulation of the cranes.

The invention provides improved barrel lifters, each including a plurality of hooks having shoes adapted to hook under rims of barrels with strands angling upwardly and inwardly over the barrel to a central point. The hooks, when the strands are relaxed, are adapted to hook over the rim of the barrel and, when the strands are tensioned, engage the barrel under the rim. In a barrel lifter forming one specific embodiment of the invention, a plurality of one piece hooks have arcuate shoes at the lower ends thereof and eyes at the upper ends thereof which overhang the barrel and are attached to lower ends of lifting chains secured at their other ends to a ring. In a barrel lifter forming another specific embodiment of the invention, a plurality of hooks each is formed from a pair of parallel, C-shaped, hook-like plates ice having an arcuate shoe secured to the lower end there of and having a chain secured by a bolt to the upper end thereof.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of barrel lifters forming specific embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a barrel lifter forming one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a barrel lifter forming an alternate embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to detail to the drawings, a barrel lifter 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) forming one embodiment of the invention includes three identical books 12 connected by three strands or chains 14 of the same length to a ring 16 and adapted to engage a barrel 18 at portions of the barrel spaced around the barrel. Each hook includes an arcuate, bar-like shoe 20 adapted to fit against the periphery of body 21 of the barrel and under an overhanging rim 22 of the barrel. The book has an eye 24 with a shank 26 connecting the eye to a hook portion 28 of about The hook portion and the shank taper in width and the shank also tapers in thickness. The hook may be of cast or forged metal such as, for example, steel.

The chains 14 are of such a length relative to the diameter of the barrel, and the hooks 12 are of such configuration that, when the ring 16 is lifted and the chains are tensioned, the centerlines of the chains extend through the rings 16 of the hooks and corners 30 of the rim and the body 21 of the barrel, as best shown in FIG. 2. This keeps the upper corner edges of the shoes snugly in the corners 30 of the rim and provides the optimum lifting and lateral forces. The arcuate faces of the shoes preferably are of the same diameter and may be slightly larger than that of the body 21 of the barrel and subtend angles of 15 so that concentrations of the pressure on small areas of the body are avoided.

The hooks 12 overhang the rim 22 of the barrel sufficiently that, when the tensions on the chains 14 are removed by lowering the ring 16, the hooks hook over the rim 22 and the hooks will move into precise hooking engagement under the mm 22 when the chains are again tensioned by lifting the ring 16. This construction also greatly facilitates initially engaging the barrel for lifting it, the hooks merely being placed on the barrel with the shoes 20 engaging the body 21 of the barrel and released. Then when the ring 16 is lifted the hooks all hook under the rim and the barrel is lifted. The hooks may be easily released by a hoist operator merely by lowering the ring and shifting it sidewise to move the hooks one at a time ofi. the barrel. However, this disengagement requires deliberate action by the operator and the hooks do not come off accidentally even when the ring is lowered to remove tension from the chains.

Embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 A barrel lifter 40' forming an alternate embodiment of the invention includes two hooks 42 connected by chains 44 to a ring 46. Each book 42 includes an arcuate, bar-like shoe 50 welded near its center to lower ends 57 of two parallel, C-shaped, hook-like plates 58. Bolts 54 passing through aligned holes in upper ends 59 of the plates and the last links of the chain 44 and nuts 55 secure the chains to the hooks. The angular distance and spacing from each bolt to corner 60 of the central portion of the shoe and the lengths of the chains 44 are such that, when the ring 46 is lifted, to tension the chains and lift barrel 68, the centerlines of the chain extend through the bolts 54 and the corners 60. The angular distance along the arcuate hooklike plates is greater than 180 and preferably is about 270 so that the upper ends of the hOOks overhang rim 72 of the barrel and hook over the rim to hold the hooks on the barrel when the tensions on the chains are removed. The hooks will then rest on the barrel and, when the ring 46 is again lifted primarily upwardly, the hooks will automatically come into precise hooking engagement with the barrel. Each of the shoes 50 preferably has a span of at least 15 and the radius of the gripping face of the shoe is equal to or slightly greater than that of body 71 of the barrel.

It will be understood that, while the lifter 10 has been disclosed with three hooks and the lifter 40 has been disclosed with two hooks, the lifter 10 may have only two hooks and the lifter 40 may have three hooks. Both work very well with either two or three hooks. The lifters are very strong and rugged, are unitary in construction, having no parts requiring detachment, are compact for shipping and storage, fit all standard barrels, are simply and quickly attached to and detached from barrels, and very securely grip the barrels while hoisting and moving the barrels. The lifters are easily attached to barrels in closely spaced barrels in a group. The lifters do not disengage from the barrel even when the barrel is swung from side to side, while permitting easy disengagement by manipulation of the crane only after the barrels are set down. The lifters also are well adapted for multiple use with a spreader bar. The lifters enable a crane operator to lift the barrels straight up and set the barrels straight down so that tipping is avoided. This enables the operator to remove a barrel from or place a barrel in a group of closely spaced barrels without tipping.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A barrel lifting device comprising,

a plurality of hooks each comprising,

a curved member having an upper end adapted to extend over the top of a barrel, and a lower end adapted to extend around the outside of and under a top rim of a barrel,

elongated, arcuate shoe means carried by and extending transversely to one end of the member and adapted to enage the bottom edge of the rim and to fit against the peripheral portion of the body of the barrel just below the rim,

the shoe means being sharp at its upper, inner corner and being integral with the curved member,

a hoisting member adapted to be located over and centrally of the top of a barrel when the barrel is to be lifted,

and a plurality of flexible connecting means connecting said hoisting member to the said upper ends of said hooks,

said connecting means being of such length and the said hooks of such conformation that upon the application of lifting tension to a barrel, the centerline of said connecting means will intersect said upper, inner corner of said shoe means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,573,216 10/1951 Natoli 294-78 3,339,966 9/1967 Carlson 294 -81 3,352,591 11/1967 Casey 29481 OTHER REFERENCES Mechanical Handling, p. 68, May 1964.

ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner 

